Q & A
Q. Why should I have my eyes examined regularly?
A. Thorough eye exams are essential not just for detecting vision problems, but also as an important preventive measure for maintaining overall health and wellness. In fact, a thorough eye exam can detect a number of serious medical conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes, and even cancer. Caring for your eyes should always be a part of your regular healthcare routine.
Q. How often should I have my eyes examined?
A. You and your doctor should determine the eye exam schedule that best meets your eye care needs. However, as a rule, you should not go beyond two years to have your eyes examined, and the recommended care is an eye exam every year. Those with a family history of eye diseases, diabetic patients and anyone whose general health is poor or who are taking medications that may have potential side effects on the eye, may need to have their eyes examined more often.
Q. What is the difference between a routine eye exam and a contact lens exam?
A. Routine eye exams are designed to detect vision problems and are an important preventive measure for maintaining your overall health and wellness. In fact, a thorough eye exam can detect a number of serious medical conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes and even cancer.
Contact lens exams are designed to evaluate your vision with contacts. Although your vision may be clear and you feel no discomfort from your lenses, there are potential risk factors with improper wearing or fitting of contact lenses that can affect the overall health of your eyes.
Q. When should my child have his or her first eye exam?
A. The American Optometric Association suggests that children should have their first regular eye exam at six months of age. Follow up exams should be done around age two to three because a child's visual system undergoes its most rapid development at this age and vision correction is most effective.
Q. How often should children's eyes be examined after their initial eye exam?
A. As with adults, children's eyes should be examined every two years — or more often — if there is an eye or vision problem or a family history of eye disease. School children use their eyes more often than adults to read and perform other activities, so it's critical for them to have regular eye exams. Also, it's important to remember that an eye screening typically offered at school only tests distance. Screenings will not detect some vision problems. Your child can have problems with near vision, eye coordination and focusing and still have 20/20 distance vision. If left untreated, these problems can cause learning disabilities, headaches and other visual discomforts.
Q. Do I need a special eye exam as I get close to, or past, age 40?
A. You don't need a special eye exam over age 40, but it's critical that you have your regular eye exam at least every two years. As we get older, we are more susceptible to certain eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. A regular eye exam enables your eye doctor to detect the first signs of disease and prescribe the appropriate treatments to prevent vision loss.
Q. How do I know if I have an eye problem?
A. Sometimes you don't, which is why you should have your eyes examined on a routine basis. Sometimes there are obvious signs or symptoms that alert you to an eye problem and some of those are given in the table below. The best rule is to have your eyes examined if you have any suspicion that there may be a problem - even if it seems minor. If you are concerned but not sure what to do, you can always call the clinic and ask to speak to a doctor
Q. How do I make an appointment?
A. In general, appointments are available Monday through Sunday between 9:30 AM and 6:00 PM. You may schedule an appointment by calling one of our branches and provide our staff with your insurance information, if any.
Q. I’m new to the area and would like to make my first appointment with you. What sort of medical or other information do I need to provide beforehand?
A. For your first visit to the Optometry Center, we would like for you to bring a list of medications that you currently take. We need to know if you have allergies to any medications and we want you to bring all of your current prescription eyewear.
Q. Do you accept credit cards for payment?
A. We are happy to accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover Card, American Express, and debit cards.